Not really going to delve too much into the themes here, but there are some things that might be spoiler. However, if you’re reading this post, it’s likely you’ve read the others, which spoil the whole game anyway.)

Today, I’m going to wrap up my look at Silent Hill 2 by giving the same some critiques, and talking about the different versions of the game that are currently available. Including that one.

So, join me, won’t you?

Now, to start off with, Silent Hill 2 is one of my favorite games, if not my absolute favorite. However, the game isn’t perfect, and does have a number of flaws. Two of those flaws are the voice acting and dialog.

Before I go any further, I should note that they’re not awful. It’s certainly a lot better than in the first game, and a lot of the time bad voice acting has more to do with the dialog and direction more than the actors themselves being bad. That said, there are some performances that are better than others.

In particular, Monica Taylor Horgan’s performance as Mary and Maria are definitely the best in the game, especially the ending where she reads out the entirety of Mary’s letter. Donna Burke (Angela) and David Schaufele (Eddie) also do pretty well, although Donna Burke’s Australian accent does peek through a bit sometimes, particularly on the word “right.” Jacquelyn Breckenridge, who played Laura, is a bit shaky, but she was also literally eight at the time, so I’m more likely to give her a pass.

The weakest performance, though, is unfortunately Guy Cihi as James. While I understand that it does make him across as awkward, which James is supposed to be, there are moments that are like, “well, that was definitely a choice.” The best example of this is just before the last boss fight, where James is supposed to sound angry and defiant, but mostly comes across as kinda whiny? I don’t know, I just didn’t care for his performance all that much.

Also, some people believe that the somewhat inconsistent performances are intentional, I don’t believe that’s the case. The late 90s and early 2000s were just not great for voice acting in video games.

Graphically speaking, it’s actually held up fairly well. You can definitely tell that it’s an early PS2 game, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Also, the FMV cutscenes are very well done, even if facial expressions dip into the uncanny valley at times. However, considering they didn’t have facial mo-cap and all the expressions and lip movements were done by the game’s CGI director Takayoshi Sato, it’s pretty fucking impressive.

The game also has a bit of an issue with clunky gameplay and combat, but that’s kind of a staple of the genre. Unlike the first game, though, you do have the option of switching out the tank controls for 2d controls, the type you find in most RPGs. This makes getting around in some places a bit easier. The fact that it takes a while for James to swing a melee weapon also makes encounters a lot more tense.

And, of course, you can’t talk about Silent Hill 2 without talking about Akira Yamaoka’s outstanding score. Unlike the first game’s, Silent Hill 2’s OST is more actual music and less sonic hellscape. Not to diss the first game’s soundtrack: it’s effective for instilling horror, but isn’t very pleasant to listen to as an album.

Yamaoka is heavily influenced by trip-hop groups like Portishead, and this can best be heard in the tracks “Alone In The Town” and “Heaven’s Night.” There’s plenty for rock fans to love as well, with the game’s opener “Theme of Laura” (my favorite opener in the franchise) and “Angel’s Thanatos.” My absolute favorite track, however, is this haunting little ditty that plays when James realizes the truth: “True.”

Seriously, even if you’re not interested in the game itself I still highly recommend its soundtrack; it’s just that good.

Where the game really shines though is the story. Silent Hill 2 is considered the best of the series, and its story is largely the reason why. The cult that was a focal point of its predecessor (and much of the series) is barely even mentioned, and even then only in flavor text. The story is also smaller and more intimate: rather than preventing a world-ending calamity, Silent Hill 2 centers mostly around one person. Due to the subject matter and the gameplay, I hesitate to call this game “fun.” I think “cathartic” is a better descriptor.

So, that’s some general criticism of the game. Now it’s time to move on to all the different versions you can choose from. And now I have to mention the elephant in the room: the Silent Hill HD Collection.

On paper, this seemed like a good idea. Silent Hill 2 and 3 are the most popular games in the series, and Konami had a lot of luck with the Metal Gear Solid HD remasters, so it seemed like the way to go. So how did we end up with the bug-riddled mess that was the SHDC? 

Well, there seems to have been a number of things, a lot of them having to do with Konami. First, they hired a studio called Hijinx Studios to do said remastering. They’d worked with Konami on a number of projects before, so that made sense. Except for one small problem: Hijinx was largely a mobile developer, and had never done this kind of remastering work before.

It certainly didn’t help that Konami didn’t give them the finished code, because they had lost it. Now, to be fair, throwing away source code after a game shipped was common practice for Japanese developers at the time Silent Hill 2 was made. This was for security purposes, and also because remasters didn’t really become a thing until the 2010s, so they didn’t think they needed it. Square Enix ran into a similar issue when they went to remaster Kingdom Hearts, though that particular effort fared a lot better.

Now, I do want to stress that I am not dumping on Hijinx here. From what I could tell, they did the best they could with what they were given. Unfortunately, Konami didn’t give them a lot, from the source code to other support. Hence we ended up with things like sound glitches, missing fog textures, and this infamous little moment:

Konami also made the decision to record new voiceovers, which really didn’t go over well with the fans. In this, Konami actually did bow to pressure from said fans and also included the original voices for 2, though they did not do that for 3. I’ve played a little bit of the game with the new voices, and they’re OK. They just sound weird to me, but I think that’s largely because I’m used to the original voices and a newcomer to the game may not have that issue.

They didn’t change any of the dialog, though, which leads to surreal moments of a bunch of acclaimed, veteran voice over actors (including Troy Baker and Laura Bailey, among many others) delivering some very goofy lines very seriously.

Also, because I know someone might bring it up: the HD collection was not Tom Hulett’s fault. Tom Hulett was the senior associate producer; he just wound up doing most of the game’s PR because Konami didn’t give a fuck. He reported to Konami’s management, who were calling the shots. Tom Hulett did not ruin Silent Hill. His bosses did.

All that said, the original version of the game came out for the PS2 in September 2001. That December, the XBox version, subtitled Restless Dreams, was released. This version contained the UFO ending and “Born From A Wish” scenario that wasn’t included in the original PS2 version, at least until the PS2 Greatest Hits edition was released. In December 2002, the Windows version came out, which was mostly identical to the XBox release.

As for which version is best, I would probably go for the PS2 Greatest Hits edition. The PC version is said to be quite well done. That version also has the SH2 Enhanced Edition, a fan project intended to bring it as close to HD as possible. I personally haven’t played the PC version (with or without the mods), but I have heard good things about it.

The only drawbacks with these two are the price. Either version of the PS2 release can run over $100, and the PC version can cost even more than that. The XBox version is slightly less expensive, but runs into texture loading issues if you’re playing on an XBox 360. I played that version of the game once, and the walls of a room I was in were replaced with the map. That was trippy.

Unfortunately, the least expensive version of the game is the HD collection. Which, if it’s the only feasible way to experience the game, then go for it. Just be mindful of the issues that I listed above.

Of course, you could also always pirate the game. Which I would never condone.

So that’s the end of my series on Silent Hill 2. If you’re at all interested, then I highly recommend checking it out. It’s a great game with a great story, and is the one I’d recommend playing first as an entry point to the series.

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